Mining apparatus.



I. N. HENNESS.

MINING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1910.

1,054,410, Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC N. HENNESS, OF MOCLIPS, WASHINGTON.

MINING APPARATUS;

Application filed July 18,

To all "whom it may concern Be it known that I, ISAAC N. HENNEss, acitizen of the United States, residing at Moclips, in the county ofChehalis and State of Washington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mining Apparatus, of which the following is.aspecification.

This invention relates to placer-mining and more especially to apparatusfor excavating and conveying auriferous sand or gravel to the sluiceboxes or other gold separating appliances.

The object ofthe invention is to afford means whereby large quantitiesof auriferous material may'be economically excavated fromexposed'positions or from submerged river or sea-beds and thenprogressively transported to the washing contrivances.

The invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation andcombination of devices as will be hereinafter described and claimed. y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a general view in perspectiveof an eni-' bodiment of my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are verticallongitudinal and transverse sectional views of the scraper employed incarrying out the invention. Fig. 4 is a perspective of a rake which isemployed in clearing the ground of boulders or the like which may beencountered.

The reference numeral 5 designates a sluicebox supported upon suitabletrestles, such as 6. At the upper, receiving, end ofthe sluicebox is ahopper 7 and above the latter is a platform 8. This platform is providedwith an opening 9 of less width than th.plat form. Extending from theplatform to the ground is a Way 10 of equal width to the\ platform atits juncture therewith and thence diverging to a greater width at itslower end. At the opposite sides of said way and platform are walls 11and 12. Mounted upon a portable frame 13 is a plurality of rope-windingdrums 14, 15, 16 and 17 normally loose upon the respective shafts whichare driven by a suitable motor, such as an en ine 18 deriving its powerfrom a steam-bo1ler '19. Any sutable devices may be employed forindividually engaging said drums with their shafts.

20 represents a scraper constructed with two side plates 21, a top plate22 extending from the forward edges of the side plates Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913. 1910. Serial No. 572,542.

and thence about the rear of such side plates to form the back 23. Asbest shown in Fig. 2, the back of the scraper is curved, and detachablyconnected to its lower edge is a cutting blade 24 which projects belowthe plane of the bottom edges of the side plates 21. The bottom of thescraper is open while at the front is a gate 25 which is hinged to thefront edge 22 so as to be swung forwardly when opened. Secured to theside plates is a draft-bail 26 in which is a centrally-disposed swiveleye-bolt 27 to accominmlat-c the draw-line 28 which passes about apulley 2S) and thence extends to the winding-drum 14. The pulley 29 isconnected to a guy-secured post 30, or an equivalent, which ispositioned so that the line when wound about the drum will cause thescraper to be drawn up the wax onto the platform 8.

t the rear corners of the scraper are apertured cars 31 whereto arerespectively secured controller lines 32 and 33. line 32 is led by guldepulleys 34 and 34 to the winding-drum 16; while the other line. 33, isled by guide pulleys 35 and 35 to the winding-drum 17. In practice, thepulleys 34 and 35 are secured by anchor ropes 36 remote from theplatform 8 and spaced apart to a distance somewhat greater than theWidth of the ground which is to be excavated during a stage ofoperation. The other guide-pulleys 34 and 35 are maintained in positionsto lead the respective lines to the drums therefor.

The rake, illustrated in Fig. 4, is formed of a frame consisting of twotransversely arranged bars 37 with spacing blocks 38 between. thecorresponding ends. Rigidly secured to the ends of this frame areforwardly directed draw-bars 39 carrying at their outer ends a yoke 40which serves. for making connection with the 'said drawline 28 when therake is used in place of the scraper. the rake-frame is provided withholes for the-reception vof teeth 41. When the rake is employed thecontroller lines 32 and 33 would be connected'with the rake frameadjacent to its ends as for example to the shanks of the outermost ofthe teeth and between theframe-bars 37. I

In operation, the scraper is first drawn away from the sluice-box byoperating the 'agency of the drums 16 and 17 and it may be movedlaterally by then slacking one of The Intermediate the draw-bars 39,

two haul-back lines 32 and 33 through the these lines while exerting apull through the other one. When the scraper is then properly positionedthe drum 14 is caused to rotate to Wind up the main haul line 28 whicheflects the drawing of the scraper across the ground and over the way 10to stop upon the platform 8. As the scraper is dragged forwardly lthedownwardly projecting cutting blade 24. digs into the ground and causesthe plowed. up material to be turned up against the inner side of theback 23 until the chamber within the scraper is filled with theexcavated material and an excess-amount of material will then exert anupward thrust against the underside of the top 22 with the result thatthe scraper will be raised to elevate the cutting blade out of-operative position. The scraper then rides on its load, so to speak,until it arrives above the platform opening 9 whereupon the transportedmaterial will drop into the hopper therebelow to be deposited into thesluice-h0g5. Should any of the material, however, stick to the walls ofthe scraper 'it may be washed oil by a stream of Water delivered througha hose when the gate 25 is swun "back over the scraper top; A furtherunotio-n of' the gate is to afford protection to the contents of thescraper from being washed out when a it is being'operatedon a beachhaving a heavy surf. The scraper is successively drawn back and forth byactuating the proper of the aforesaid lines, and it is evident that by asuitable cont-r01 of the haulbackn'lines that the scraper'may betransvversely moved to excavate all of the ground included in the spacebounded by planes coextensive with the side walls 11 of the way and to adistance equal to the offsetting of the pulleys 35 and 36 from 'thewashing device.

Where rocks or other obstructions are encountered, the rake, Fig. 4, issubstituted for the scraper and will be reciprocat-ed in substantiallythe same manner, but may be guided to deposit the various loads alongthe lateral margins of the ground being worked instead of drawing therocks over the way.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters-Patent of the United States, is-

A bottomless scraper comprising vertical side Walls, a top plate securedthereto and extending over the rear ends of the side walls to constitutethe rear wall, said rear Wall being curved forwardly, a cutter bladesecured to the lower edge thereof and lying below the lower edge of theside walls, a front wall of substantially the same width as-the heightof the Side walls hinged to the forward end of the top wall, a draftbail pivoted to the sidewalls near the forward ends of the latter, andears,conn'ect-ed to the side walls atthe rear end of the latter andprojecting beyond the rear Wall for the attachment of haul-back lines tothe scraper.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 12th day of July, 1910.

ISAAC N. HENNESS.

Witnesses:

A. B. SMITH, H. Barnes.

